DXXZL - 53

Zhu Xingyao found Jiang Tu’s slightly stiff expression amusing. She muttered, “I did say this Xiao Jiang is a bit of a pervert...”

Jiang Tu was silent for a moment before softly saying, “I feel like you’re talking about me.”

After all, he had developed the robot and given it to her, so no matter how you looked at it, the blame would fall on him.

Zhu Xingyao: “...”

The man on the screen had sharp, cold features, exuding an aura of aloofness and restraint. As she gazed into his dark eyes, she realized they were now adults—men might appear cold on the surface but still harbor passionate sides. Especially since he had liked her for so long, he probably had some fantasies about her, right?

It was hard for Zhu Xingyao to imagine what Jiang Tu would be like if he were flirtatious. The harder it was to picture, the more intriguing it became...

She stopped her wild thoughts and turned to rummage through the closet.

Xiao Jiang’s screen followed her movements, capturing her figure. Jiang Tu watched intently, wondering what she was doing. After a while, she pulled out an Inglenook handkerchief from the cabinet and turned to Jiang Tu, saying, “I’ll just cover Xiao Jiang with this when I’m not using it.”

Jiang Tu imagined the robot wearing a veil and couldn’t help but smile wryly. “Take it with you to Las Vegas.”

The next day, when Zhu Xingyao left her room, she stuffed Xiao Jiang into her backpack and departed Jiangcheng with her two assistants.

There were no direct flights from Jiangcheng to Las Vegas, so they transferred in Los Angeles and arrived after fifteen or sixteen hours. Chen Lan and his team were already in Las Vegas. He and the driver came to pick her up at the airport. It had been a long time since teacher and student last met. When Zhu Xingyao approached, Chen Lan smiled, got out of the car, and gave her a hug. “You look quite spirited.”

Zhu Xingyao smiled happily and glanced at his dangling right hand. “Teacher, how’s your hand?”

Chen Lan’s string orchestra was internationally renowned, and X Band had paid heavily to hire him. Unfortunately, he injured his hand while working out. It wasn’t serious, but performing on stage with the orchestra was out of the question. The X Band’s performance was imminent and couldn’t be delayed. Zhu Xingyao, who had studied under Chen Lan, was very familiar with his style and had previously performed with his orchestra. Asking her to step in was the perfect solution.

“It’s fine. A couple weeks of rest should do it.”

Chen Lan sighed, opened the car door, and Zhu Xingyao got in. Once the assistants loaded the luggage, the car drove off. It was around 1 a.m. back home. Zhu Xingyao sent a message to her parents letting them know she had arrived safely. After receiving their reply, she hesitated about whether to send one to Jiang Tu as well. Just then, his call came through.

It was quiet on Jiang Tu’s end, and his voice was clear. “You’ve arrived?”

Zhu Xingyao was tired. Leaning back against the seat with half-closed eyes, her voice was soft. “Yes, I’ve arrived. We’re going to eat now.” She paused and asked, “Are you still awake this late?”

“Waiting for you.” Jiang Tu’s computer was still on, but he had set the mouse aside.

She softly responded, “I’ve arrived. You should get some rest.”

Chen Lan, at forty-five years old, was still at the peak of his artistic career. With a harmonious family and a wise, composed demeanor, he smiled at Zhu Xingyao. “Boyfriend?”

Zhu Xingyao put down her phone and said shyly, “Not yet...”

“So, a potential boyfriend?” Chen Lan raised an eyebrow.

Zhu Xingyao and Jiang Tu seemed to have tacitly agreed on this mode of interaction. He was giving her time to adjust to their relationship and to the twenty-eight-year-old him. She turned to her teacher and smiled bashfully.

That evening, Zhu Xingyao, Chen Lan, and X Band dined together. X Band was a famous domestic band, with members aged between thirty and thirty-five. The lead singer, Xiao He, was the youngest at thirty. At the restaurant, it was Zhu Xingyao’s first meeting with them. Xiao He led with a smile. “I’ve heard a lot about Teacher Chen Lan’s beautiful female apprentice. In person, you’re even prettier than in photos and videos.”

Chen Lan laughed heartily. “Of course! Otherwise, how could she be the cello goddess?”

Having heard countless compliments on her beauty from childhood, Zhu Xingyao smiled gracefully. “Thank you.”

It took Zhu Xingyao a day to adjust to the time difference before she began practicing with the band. One night, Jiang Tu asked, “Can I watch you practice?” The next morning, Zhu Xingyao brought Xiao Jiang along when she left.

After obtaining the band members’ consent, she handed Xiao Jiang to her assistant, Xiaokui, turned it on, and tapped “On-Demand Assistant.”

It was evening on Jiang Tu’s side. He was still at the company, his phone propped up on the desk. Looking up from his computer, he saw the sudden appearance of Jiang Tu on the screen. Xiaokui was shocked and asked, “Xingyao, what kind of black tech is this? Tap once, and a handsome guy appears? What kind of magic device is this?”

“A companion robot.”

Feeling that Jiang Tu was too eye-catching, Zhu Xingyao minimized the window and whispered, “You can watch for a while. Just exit when you’re done.”

Jiang Tu smiled. “Alright.”

Xiao Jiang dutifully followed Zhu Xingyao’s figure.

Xiaokui held the robot, curiously examining it from all angles. Unable to resist, she asked, “Are you... Xingyao’s boyfriend?”

Jiang Tu replied, “Not yet.”

So, he was pursuing Xingyao?

Xiaokui was excited. She encouraged him, “Good luck! There are plenty of people chasing stars.”

Jiang Tu knew there were many suitors. He was silent for a moment before asking, “Who else?”

Xiaokui whispered, “Did you see that lead singer? He seems to really like Xingyao. But I think you’re handsomer. I’ll vote for you.”

Jiang Tu looked at the tall man singing among the group and furrowed his brows.

At the end of September, Jiang Tu returned to Beijing. Jiang Lu called, “Brother, come home for dinner tonight. Mom keeps mentioning you.”

At seven in the evening, Jiang Tu parked his car downstairs, ready to go up. Glancing up, he saw Jiang Lu standing by the flower bed ahead, talking to a man in his fifties. The man had aged significantly, his temples gray—it was Jiang Jinhui.

Jiang Jinhui seemed to sense his gaze and turned to look.

Jiang Tu hadn’t seen Jiang Jinhui in several years. His gaze was icy cold. Jiang Jinhui froze, his face awkwardly dropping. He turned to Jiang Lu and said, “I’ll leave first.”

After Jiang Jinhui left, Jiang Lu approached. Jiang Tu looked at him and coldly asked, “Did he come to ask you for money?”

Jiang Lu, about the same height as Jiang Tu, had his hands in his pockets, standing on the steps below. He looked up and sighed, “After losing two fingers back then, he doesn’t gamble much anymore. Occasionally, he plays a little mahjong. He just doesn’t have a proper job, so I give him some pocket money occasionally. After all, he used to give me quite a bit of allowance when I was young...”

Jiang Lu was different from Jiang Tu. Back then, Jiang Lu was still young. Even if something earth-shattering happened at home, like racking up millions in debt, it wouldn’t fall on his shoulders. As Lin Jiayu had said, he didn’t miss out on eating, drinking, sleeping, or playing. All the harm and disasters brought by Jiang Jinhui fell on Jiang Tu. From the age of thirteen or fourteen, Jiang Tu stopped taking money from Jiang Jinhui. Instead, he worked to pay off debts and shielded Jiang Jinhui and Shu Xian from troublemakers. He shouldered all the responsibilities Jiang Jinhui should have borne and endured hardships that weren’t his to bear.

When Jiang Lu was younger, he was mischievous and often went to internet cafes. He squeezed every penny he could from Jiang Jinhui. When Jiang Jinhui won at gambling and was in a good mood, he would slip him a hundred yuan. Their father-son bond still had some remnants, and he couldn’t bear to see his father so destitute. Occasionally, he gave him some money.

“It’s best if that’s all.”

Jiang Tu showed no emotion and turned to walk into the building.

Jiang Lu scratched his head and followed.

Home was lively. Shu Xian had invited Lin Jiayu’s family over again. Lin Jiayu and Jiang Lu were playing Honor of Kings, the sound effects loud. Suddenly, Jiang Lu said, “I even pulled Goddess Sister to play last night.”

Lin Jiayu exclaimed, “She’s abroad. Does she have time to play?”

Jiang Tu leaned on the sofa, looking up at Jiang Lu. Jiang Lu, while operating his phone, said, “She was resting. I just got lucky.”

A few seconds later, he took out his phone and installed Honor of Kings, looking at Jiang Lu. “Add me to the next game.”

Jiang Lu looked up, “Huh??? Did I hear that right? Brother wants to play games?”

Jiang Tu ignored him, searched for gameplay tips, and familiarized himself with the game interface. If Zhu Xingyao wanted to play, he could teach her.

Jiang Lu quickly caught on. Lowering his voice, he said, “Sure, no problem. Brother, good luck. Turning Goddess Sister into Goddess Sister-in-law sounds great.”

Jiang Lu looked up. Lin Jiayu quickly said, “It wasn’t me who said it. He figured it out himself.”

Jiang Tu frowned. “Did I say anything to you?”

Lin Jiayu: “...”

Lin Jiayu pouted, thinking of Zhu Xingyao’s robot. Smiling sweetly, she said to Jiang Tu, “Why don’t you give me one of those robots too? Zhu Xingyao said it’s fun, but it’s not available for purchase yet... even if it were, it’s quite expensive, several thousand yuan.”

“She only has one, and it’s a test unit.” Jiang Tu relaxed on the sofa. “If you want one, I’ll bring you one when they’re on sale.”

“Huh? How is it different?”

Of course, it was different. Zhu Xingyao’s Xiao Jiang was Jiang Tu’s personal touch. Whenever she wanted to find him, she could immediately reach him.

There was only one such robot in the world.

On the afternoon of October 1st, Jiang Tu and Old Yuan went to the gym. At five o’clock, Jiang Tu stepped off the treadmill. His black sportswear was soaked with sweat, clinging to his lean body. Old Yuan peeked over and admired, “You’re still as fit as in college, running ten kilometers!”

Just like in his youth, Jiang Tu’s daily exercise consisted of long-distance running. He headed towards the shower room. “I’m leaving first.”

Old Yuan exclaimed and followed behind him. “Not eating together?”

Jiang Tu replied, “No, I have to go to the airport to pick someone up later.”

“Who are you picking up?” Old Yuan pressed.

As they passed the equipment area and the private training rooms, they were stopped by someone.

Jiang Tu looked expressionlessly at the woman in front of him. Xia Jin smiled brightly. “Jiang Tu, what a coincidence. I thought I was seeing things earlier.”

Jiang Tu nodded slightly and indifferently said, “I have something to do. I’ll leave first.”

Without caring about Xia Jin’s frozen smile, he bypassed her and strode away. Old Yuan looked at the beautiful woman in front of him and then at Jiang Tu’s cold back. Recently, several girls at the company had tried to express their affection to Jiang Tu, but he ignored them all. However, Xia Jin was very beautiful, and Old Yuan felt Jiang Tu was being too harsh. Wanting to leave some room for maneuver, he explained, “Jiang Tu is in a hurry to go to the airport to pick someone up. That’s just how he is, rather cold.”

Xia Jin’s expression wasn’t pleasant. She looked at Old Yuan. “And you are?”

Old Yuan said, “Me? His college classmate and colleague.”

So, they had a good relationship? Xia Jin recalled seeing a video of X Band’s performance on Weibo a few days ago, with Zhu Xingyao appearing in it. Was Jiang Tu going to pick up Zhu Xingyao? She was silent for a moment and smiled at Old Yuan. “Want to grab a drink?”

Old Yuan smiled. “Sure, I’d love a drink, but let me tell you, with Jiang Tu’s personality, I might not be able to help much.”

At 8:30 p.m., Zhu Xingyao emerged from the airport wearing a fisherman’s hat, the brim pulled low. She carried her cello on her shoulder and was accompanied by two assistants. Walking to the parking lot, she immediately spotted Jiang Tu standing by the car. Xiaokui’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Xingyao, is he here to pick you up?”

Zhu Xingyao’s heart leapt with joy. She told Xiaokui, “Yes, you guys take a taxi back later. Thank you for the hard work.”

From about ten meters away, Jiang Tu looked at Zhu Xingyao. Her appearance drew attention, with passersby glancing at her. He didn’t approach but simply opened the trunk and sat back in the driver’s seat. The assistants reacted swiftly, quickly walking over to load the luggage.

After a while, Zhu Xingyao sat in the passenger seat, holding her backpack. She removed her hat, her slender fingers ruffling her hair, making her long hair fluffy. Turning her head, she met Jiang Tu’s deep gaze. After a moment, she said, “I haven’t eaten yet.”

Jiang Tu smiled, looking at her and softly asked, “What do you feel like eating?”

Zhu Xingyao said, “I haven’t had duck blood vermicelli in a long time. Let’s eat that.”

Driving off the elevated bridge, Zhu Xingyao took Xiao Jiang out of her bag and looked at Jiang Tu. “Do you want to take it back to fix it?”

Jiang Tu calmly looked ahead. “No, I’ll take it after I finish writing the program.”

Zhu Xingyao softly acknowledged. She looked out the window, feeling inexplicably that this was an excuse.

Jiang Tu knew how to use excuses to pursue her.

Jiang Tu parked the car in the parking lot near the Hexi Gymnasium. They got out and walked towards Cao’s Duck Blood Vermicelli Shop. Ahead, a few young people on skateboards were heading their way. Zhu Xingyao suddenly paused and turned to Jiang Tu. “Let’s not go to Cao’s. Let’s switch to another place. I just saw a new place open nearby. Let’s try that.”

“Okay.” Jiang Tu nodded.

As Zhu Xingyao turned, someone suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her forward.

She stumbled into Jiang Tu’s embrace, smelling the clean, pleasant scent of his collar. Behind her, the boy on the skateboard rushed past, making some noise. Her heartbeat suddenly quickened. Jiang Tu lowered his head; the brim of her hat covered half her face. He saw her delicate nose and small chin, her lips slightly parted.

Zhu Xingyao’s waist was slender and soft. This was the first time Jiang Tu had held her like this, and he didn’t want to let go.